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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609174">Cold Water</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhThatsViolet/pseuds/OhThatsViolet'>OhThatsViolet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bathing/Washing, Domestic, Flirting, Gender of reader isn't specified, Hair Washing, Nudity, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:28:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhThatsViolet/pseuds/OhThatsViolet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zevran is filthy after a long day of travelling, and needs assistance cleaning his hair.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zevran Arainai/Reader, Zevran Arainai/Warden, Zevran Arainai/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cold Water</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The coolness of the water was a brief shock to the system, to say the least. It took all of his willpower to force himself to stoop down allowing it to soak his shoulders. He was filthy, having lost his footing on a slope they were traversing, sending him tumbling into the nearest mud puddle. Leliana and Alistair had gotten a laugh out of it, of course. But that was in the past now, the elf deciding to place all of his focus on his current task. It was such a relief to be able to finally remove his armor and under garments, leaving them near the edge of the lake to deal with later. </p><p>He scooped up a small amount of water in his palm, using it to run along his shoulder and bicep, washing away some of the dirt. He bit down on his lip, as he splashed it onto himself, still trying to adjust to the cold. Perhaps coming to bathe in the lake at night wasn't the smartest decision he'd ever made, but it wasn't like he had many options; they'd been travelling for most of the day and were planning on leaving their makeshift camp early the next morning. Zevran rubbed his hands together creating gentle ripples, using his nails on one hand to pick the dirt out from under the others. He returned his attention back to his arms, washing away the dried mud that was clinging to his elbows. Now came the part he wasn't looking forward to: his hair. He lowered his head downwards, grazing the ends of his hair against the lake’s surface. Zevran ran his hands through the golden strands, watching with mild interest as murky droplets began to rain down into the water below. </p><p>It wasn’t common for the assassin to let his guard down, but in this instance he was blissfully unaware that anyone was watching him. You’d decided to take a walk to clear your head after a long day of travelling. Zevran had informed you that he planned to do the same, but you hadn’t expected to find him bathing, his tanned skin glistening in the moonlight. <br/>“Are these yours?” you asked, gesturing to the pile of clothes near the lake bank. “Quite careless to leave them lying here, no? What if someone came by and stole them while you weren’t looking?” <br/>The elf rose from the water, at the sound of your voice, leaving himself covered from the waist down, beads of water trickling from his collar bone down to his stomach, disappearing into their source once again. <br/>“Then our battles would be much more interesting,” he quipped, with an almost smug smile. “How would our enemies ever focus, with all of this Antivan greatness to gaze upon?” <br/>You laughed, though he may have had a point. <br/>“Would you care to join me, my dear Grey Warden?” Zevran asked, barely making a sound as he tread through the water, coming closer. “I might require your assistance with something.” <br/>“Aren’t you cold?” <br/>“No. It feels marvelous. I assure you.”</p><p>He waited by the water’s edge while you disrobed, offering you a hand as you jumped into the water with a small splash. Your arms instantly moved to wrap around yourself, though it did little against the harsh bite of cold you felt around your legs. <br/>“Zevran!” you gasped. “This is freezing!” <br/>“It’s not so terrible once you’ve gotten used to it,” the assassin replied, with a chuckle. “Surely someone as ferocious as yourself, is not going to allow themselves to be overcome by some numb knees.” <br/>He took both of your hands and led you further in, encouraging you to move your limbs around. <br/>“Has anyone told you what wonderful eyes you possess, my dear?” Zevran said, placing one cool hand against your cheek. “The way they sparkle in this light, rivals the stars themselves.” <br/>Your face began to feel warm under his touch, and it took a little too long for you to realise you were blushing, leaving the elf feeling completely satisfied with himself. He always did know how to charm. <br/>“What was it you needed my help with then?” you asked, eyeing your companion curiously as he began to sink under the water again, until it was covering most of his torso. <br/>“Would you mind helping me get this filth out of my hair?” he requested, almost innocently. “A great many things look good on me, but I doubt this hairstyle is one of them. I thought about diving under the water to rinse it off, but I simply do not wish to risk drowning today.” <br/>You could tell he was merely poking fun at the situation, and probably just wanted your company more than anything else. Still, you decided to indulge him. There were worse things to be subjected to than washing the hair of a handsome man under the stars. </p><p>You began by undoing his braids, allowing the pieces of stray hair to fall naturally by the side of his face, tainted with sweat and dirt. Placing a light hand on his shoulder encouraged him to lean back into your other waiting arm, supporting his weight as he lay back enough for you to be able to work with. You started with handfuls of water, trying to get his hair as damp as possible before massaging your fingers along his scalp. Zevran let out a contented sigh, his eyes falling closed as you began running your hand through his hair repeatedly, washing away anything that didn’t belong. It didn’t take long until he was back looking presentable again, and he offered you a warm, grateful smile as you finished up, making sure his locks were cleaned as thoroughly as possible. <br/>“I must say, I feel much better,” Zevran said, as you both made your way towards the edge of the lake, and back onto dry land. “Thank you, again.” <br/>“It was no trouble,” you told him, stooping down to collect your clothes. “We must look after one another whilst we’re travelling together.” <br/>“Of course,” the assassin agreed, with a coy grin. “I am in your debt, afterall.” <br/>He began to walk away, but paused for a moment, looking up at the stars and then back to you.<br/>“Which of course means, if you’re ever looking for any assistance of your own...Well, you know where to find me, Grey Warden.” </p>
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